Location, location, location

If you're itching to get out of Edinburgh or Glasgow, but don’t quite know where to start, thenlook no further for some great deals, by bus andtrain, throughout Scotland. Check out special bus offers from Citylink, whose £5 Super Single tickets can get you from Glasgow to Oban, Fort William or Campbeltown. For this summer only, Citylink are also offering £5 fares from Edinburgh to Fort William. Further afield, travelling to Skye from Glasgow can start from as little as £10 (see www.citylink.co.uk for full route and ticket detail). Megabus, too, are a great shout for no hassle low cost travel – check out their deals at www.megabus.com.

If train is your preferred mode of transport, then Scotrail (www.scotrail.co.uk) are offering combined day-trip tickets, which include return train fares and admission to select family attractions. Take a family excursion from Edinburgh to the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick for £11.70 for an adult and £7.05 for a child. A trip to Deep Sea World in North Queensferry starts from £14 for an adult and £9.10 for a child. Off-peak, same-day return tickets to many destinations are also available.

For those looking to have the hard work done for them, an organised day tour is an easy way to explore Scotland, with the pros taking the lead. Haggis Adventures (www.haggisadventures.com) run awardwinning budget tours from Edinburgh, including the one-day Loch Ness Hunter Tour, passing Fort William and Ben Nevis, and gives you the option of a boat cruise on the Loch itself; for whisky and castles check out their Highlander day tour. Rabbie's Trailburners (www.rabbies.com) offer similar day trips leaving from Glasgow to Oban, Glencoe and Loch Lomond. HostelBookers (www.hostelbookers.com) offer an array of places to stay en route should you fancy DIY-ing your trip.